I like it Black
by The Water Drinker
Summary: "It wasn't like I had tripped him on purpose. He just happened to fall over my foot. Perhaps if he didn't have such a smug, dirty look on that smooth, pretty face of his the floor wouldn't have wanted to say hi to it. But now, that face is all I can think about. And to think, it had all started over coffee." Blindshipping three-shot.
1. Chapter 1

_A little, random story for you guys. Just to make you laugh! Enjoy. :D_

* * *

There comes a time in a person's life when the stress of everything starts to pile up. Stress from school, work, bills, family, ...the end of that one soap opera... Eventually, that person reaches a breaking point when it all becomes nearly impossible to handle.

To combat this stress, most people tend to find outlets to relieve it. Some people try to take their mind off of it by doing other things, such as maybe; watching TV, or playing a video game. Others might take a nap. There are those who try to eat away their stress by consuming copious amounts of ice cream and other junk food. Some people might even go for a jog.

Yugi did not do any of those things. To overcome the stress that is life, Yugi's one outlet of salvation came in the form of liquidy, black, scalding, delicious goodness in a cup. In another, more common, term, coffee. His one true guilty pleasure that he indulged in several times a day without the smallest pang of guilt or remorse. Some would say his love for coffee was on the very edge of being considered an addiction. And some, more bold people, would inform him that he indeed had an addiction, and that he should probably stop because it had to be unhealthy for one person to consume that much caffeine on a daily basis.

To which he would reply, "Smoking is bad for people, but you don't see any of them quitting anytime soon. ...I can stop whenever I want to."

In short, Yugi became awfully cranky whenever his supply of coffee ran dry. Which just so happened to be today.

" _Gah!_ I _know_ , Ryou. You don't need to remind me about that _freaking_ paper. I'm going to do it, _okay_? What are you even, my mother?" Yugi grouched into a phone in his hand. He used his other hand to rub at his temples.

Honestly, his coffee could not have picked a worse time to decide to run out on him even if it had tried. Way too many things were due in less than a week. How could anyone expect him to even function properly, let alone write papers and finish projects? It was like demanding a car to run without gas.

" _Sorry, was just making sure."_ And his supposed "best friend" had the gall to _giggle_ at his expense. _"You sound really grouchy today. Did you run out of coffee?"_

Yugi scoffed at the question. "'Did you run out of coffee today?'" He started in an exaggerated, mocking way. "Now you think you're a freaking mind-reader. So what are you? A mind-reader or my mother?"

" _Definitely ran out of coffee today."_

And Yugi then sighed, because it was true. One truth being that there was no more coffee – another being that he really did have an addiction. Perhaps he should consider rehab.

"Why is it always gone?" He spoke in a forlorn mumble.

More chuckles made their way through the receiver. _"It's not always gone. It just feels that way because you have an unhealthy relationship with your coffee. Should I call up some marriage counseling for you two?"_

Yugi groaned in dismay. "I need a minute." He took a deep breath. "Ryou, I don't think I'm gonna be okay this time. What if he never comes back?" A pitiful whine escaped his throat.

" _It's going to be okay, Yugi. Your coffee will come back. In the meantime, why don't you go get some from that coffee shop Joey works at?"_

Yugi perked up at that. He had forgotten about that little coffee shop a few blocks away from his campus. Hope began to be restored within him. "But, wouldn't that be like... cheating?"

" _Just this once. It'll be our little secret."_

Yugi had already started to remove his pajamas as he forced on some jeans with one hand. "You make a convincing argument, Ryou. I'm gonna have to go over there."

He heard Ryou chuckle. _"All right then. I'll talk to you later. Don't cause a scene!"_

He snorted. "Please, I never make a scene."

" _Riiight."_

And with the end of that conversation, Yugi soon found himself standing outside of the Grinder's Cafe. He felt like he had a permanent glare etched onto his face with all the glowering he had been doing on the way there. He just could not understand how everyone he passed could be so happy. It just did not make any sense to him how they could bring themselves to smile without coffee. Every time he attempted to fathom it, his brain would come back with, "Does not compute." Yet there they were, with their happy faces and little waves of greeting in his direction.

Oh, how he would have loved to tell them that they could take their happiness, and shove it up their-

But the thought of his grandfather halted the words from falling from his tongue with the wise words of, _"Don't be a prick like your dad."_ Ah, yes. His grandfather, Solomon Mutou – words to live by. It should be a book.

Yugi pushed open the glass door that caused a little bell to jingle overhead. As soon as he took his first step inside, the smell of freshly brewed coffee assaulted his nostrils. It was like a breath of fresh air. He could even go so far as to say it had been like the second time he had ever had sex. The second time, because he had cried through the first time he had had sex.

"Hey, Yug'!" Yugi opened his eyes when he heard the voice of one of his other best friends (because somewhere in between now and opening the door, he had closed them). He practically floated over to the counter and sat on one of the stools at the front. "You're here early. Run out of coffee?"

"Shhh." Yugi had raised his hand to silence the other. He then took another deep breath in. Joey quirked an eyebrow at the eccentric young man.

"You need quiet to smell?"

"Ah, ah, ah!" He quipped as he placed the hand over Joey's face. "You're ruining my moment."

The blond pushed the hand away from him, but chuckled. "The usual?" Yugi let out a dreamy sigh in response.

And so the coffee was made with the utmost care. It was then placed underneath him as the steam wafted into his awaiting nostrils. "Here it is. One coffee, black, no added sugar or cream. Just the way you like it." Joey said as he moved away.

Yugi had been nearly salivating. Correction, he was salivating, but who could honestly blame him? If someone were to place a big, red, juicy steak in front of a lion, what would people expect it to do?

" _Ah._ Perfection. Liquid heaven trapped within a tiny cup that will never last. A beautiful tragedy." Yugi said as he stared into the beautiful swirls of dark liquid that bubbled up along the sides of its prison.

Joey, who had moved over to clean out a mug, snorted with laughter. "Sounds like it should be a movie."

Yugi waved his hands over the mug to bring forth the beautiful smell into his nose. "I'd watch it."

Another laugh escaped the blond. "I know you would."

Yugi had been too caught up in relishing in his moment with his coffee to hear the sound of the bell's ding. He grabbed the mug in both hands and raised it carefully to his lips. The scalding temperature barely registered to him at all as the liquid ran down his throat. He was blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

Now that his desire had been sated, it became much easier to socialize. "So, how are things with... uh... um..."

Joey raised an eyebrow at him before he said, "Seto?" The blond chuckled when Yugi made an "Aha!" face.

"Yeah, that guy."

"You know, he hates it when you do that. All he wants to do is beat you one time. _At anything._ You're making him butthurt thinking that someone is smarter than he is. Then you act like you can't even remember his name."

Yugi let out an ahem. "Well, for starters, I am smarter than he is. Secondly, maybe if he was actually worth remembering, I'd take measures to remember his name."

Joey whistled low at the jab. "Damn, you are such a douche when you don't get your coffee. Glad I could save the day." Yugi shrugged and took another sip of his little piece of heaven.

"You should invest in a costume and a cape." Joey smirked at his friend's sarcasm.

"What about a mask?"

Yugi snorted out a laugh. "You don't need one."

Joey held a hand over his heart as if he had been physically wounded. " _Ouch._ So cruel. Who even are you right now?" But he laughed all the same.

"The darker, more honest, half of Yugi. I don't see what you could possibly like about the relationship. He's a jerk."

Joey let out another laugh and then smirked. "Better than your nonexistent one."

Yugi stared at his friend a moment before he shrugged. "Touche." He watched as Joey rolled his eyes.

"When are you gonna get into a relationship anyway? I feel like you're becoming a prude sitting up in that dorm room with Ryou sticking your nose in books all day long."

Yugi took another long, slow sip of his coffee. He then moved it just a tad away from his lips to say, "Just as soon as the president reads my very stern letter on the reasons why marriage to inanimate objects should be made legal."

Joey shook his head with a chuckle. "You and your coffee."

The seat to Yugi's right then became occupied by another person. At first he did not notice the intrusion into his personal space of coffee induced euphoria.

"Hey there. Welcome to the Grinder's Cafe. What can I get'cha?" The blond asked as he grinned amicably at the stranger.

Had Yugi been paying attention, he might have been annoyed. He usually did not take too kindly to people potentially interrupting his personal time with the only thing he could honestly say he was in love with.

"Ah, yes. Can I get a coffee?"

But when he had heard that deep, alluring, magnificent melody of a voice, he had turned his head almost mechanically in the stranger's direction. Because honestly, if coffee had a voice, Yugi was sure it would sound something like that.

And he stared, quite unabashedly, at the person beside him.

"Comin' right up."

"Thank you." When the stranger noticed eyes on him, he turned his head to look at Yugi and flashed him a brilliant smile. "Hello." The stranger spoke through the prettiest of lips.

Yugi was sure his mouth was agape. Thankfully he still had his cup in front of his face.

The creamiest mocha, cocoa, latte, hazelnut colored skin was spread across an angular face sculpted out of perfection like the first scoop out of a nutella jar. To top it all off, two cherry colored eyes that gleamed with mischief stared back at him curiously. Who _was_ this chocolate God?

"Would you like any cream or sugar with that?" The stranger looked away from Yugi to focus his attention on the person serving his coffee.

"Both, please."

A coffee with cream and sugar on the side was then slid the attractive stranger's way. Yugi watched him in fascination as he picked up a pink packet of sugar to shake before he ripped it open to dump its contents into his little cup of coffee. The man was about to open up a second one when he noticed Yugi was still staring at him. He turned an inquisitive eye on the one who could not keep his eyes to himself.

"You have an agenda, or do you just like staring at random strangers?"

Yugi made an obnoxious slurping sound before he spoke. "Staring is caring."

Joey looked up from his tasks to shake his head at Yugi's antics. "Yug', it's sharing, not staring."

The beautiful stranger's eyes glimmered in amusement before he opened a second packet of sugar. "Well all right then." And then something amazingly, wonderfully melodious happened. If there was ever a moment when angels would spontaneously break out into song and trumpets would play in the background, it would have been this one – for the stranger started to laugh. Yugi felt himself tingle. He imagined this was what it must feel like to be a preteen girl who attended a boy band concert. Now he finally understood the hype.

But then, as if the record player producing the beautiful melody suddenly started to skip, Yugi noticed the chocolate God added a _third_ packet of sugar to his coffee; followed closely by some cream. He grimaced.

"Have a little coffee with your sugar." The comment was probably unnecessary, but he found it difficult not to. The man was murdering his coffee right in front of him. Such an atrocity could not go unnoticed.

The stranger quirked his eyebrow in amusement at him. "Don't mind if I do." The man said as he swirled the concoction of sugar and cream into a light brown disaster.

Yugi started to grumble. "I mind..."

"Forgive him. He can only function as half a human being when he doesn't have at least two cups of coffee." Yugi heard Joey speak up from behind the counter. The stranger chuckled again. He really needed to stop doing that. If Yugi was thrown into prison for jumping the man beside him, he would have to appeal to the judge by claiming momentary insanity.

"Sounds like me in the mornings."

Yugi glowered at the ruined cup of coffee before he took another sip of his own. However, just as he was about to, he noticed he had none left. Remorse and regret washed over him. He had been paying so much attention to this personification of chocolate and coffee that he had neglected the taste of his own cup o' joe.

"All right, all right. Stop lookin' so pitiful." Joey spoke as he slid another cup his way. The aroma rekindled Yugi's pleasure as he let out a content sigh. "Another coffee, black. Just for you."

He felt the eyes of the beautiful stranger upon him. "You like it black? Really?" Yugi turned his head slowly. He did not much care for the slightly disgruntled tone of the man's voice. "You might as well lick tar off of asphalt."

The air around them suddenly became thick with tension. So much so that Joey began to back away from the two with the uneasy words of, "Oh boy. Coffee wars."

"Well at least it doesn't taste like I'm licking the ass of a freaking _pixie_. Add any more fairy dust and you'll start to float." Most beautiful man alive or not, how _dare_ he insult his coffee.

The man let out a hearty laugh. He then took a pinch of sugar and blew it at Yugi. Yugi almost let out a feral hiss, but then figured that that would probably not be an appropriate thing to do in public.

He watched through narrowed eyes as the stranger stood up. "I better go find somewhere else to sit. I stay here any longer and I fear I might get injured."

Yugi was not sure what exactly compelled him to stick his foot out, but he did. It was probably equal measures of two things; not wanting the chocolate, coffee God to leave just yet and also because insults to his choice in coffee preparation were always met with repercussions.

Needless to say, the poor stranger tripped over the foot and fell to the ground. His reflexes were quite impressive, however, as he caught himself before he face-planted onto the floor by throwing his hands out flat as if he had spontaneously decided to do a push-up. The cup of coffee was not so lucky. It shattered as soon as it hit the floor and spilled all of its contents.

" _Yugi_! What the hell are you doing?" Joey exclaimed as he rushed around the counter to aid the stranger. The man waved the blond off.

"It's quite all right." Yugi watched as the man stood up and looked over at him. He held a dangerous, yet amused, gleam in his cherry-red eyes. "You know, when I said I might get injured, it was meant as a joke."

Yugi took another sip of his coffee. "I don't have a sense of humor."

The man chuckled; this time much deeper - seductive even. He walked up to Yugi and slung his arm around his shoulders. Yugi tensed up at the contact. The man smelled of spice. "Well, seems like you owe me another coffee, _Yugi_."

After a few more obnoxious slurps, Yugi conceded. "Sounds fair."

Joey had walked back around the counter to get the man another cup of coffee. He did not appear to be pleased as he sent Yugi a glare. When Yugi turned to look at his friend, the blond mouthed, _"Do you want me to get fired?"_

"To go, please." A little take-away cup was slid across the table into the stranger's open hand. Yugi watched him take a sip. "Ah, black coffee. Tastes like ass." The man then walked over to grab a few packets of sugar and cream. "Have a splendid morning, gentlemen." The last thing Yugi heard of the beautiful man was the sound of the little bell jingling above the door.

Yugi sighed in dismay. He lifted his empty cup of coffee and held it over his mouth to collect the last remnants on his tongue. He had completely forgotten about his liquid heaven yet again. All because of one individual.

"I should be making you clean this up." Yugi looked down at the floor to see Joey mopping up the mess that had been made.

"I need another one, Joey." His voice sounded whiny, but he did not care. His best friend looked up at him with a glare. Yugi stuck out his lower lip and pouted.

"Just gimmie a second, jeez."

It was not long before another cup was pushed underneath his nose. He took a gracious sip and melted into the bitter goodness. After a moment, he looked up at his friend.

"This'll be my last one. How much?"

Yugi heard Joey tap away at the register. "Including his, that'll be... 21.50." Yugi's mouth fell open in shock.

"21.50?!"

"Well, he didn't pay for his first one, and then didn't pay for his second. Then yours. Five coffees in total."

Yugi felt his eye twitch.

* * *

 _Author's note:_

 _So, I hope this made you at least smile. This story came from the random corners of my mind. I made a prompt for myself, and then started from there. I had no idea where I would take the story, but I guess my brain defaults to silly humor._

 _Anyway! I hope you liked it. I'll be writing a little more about it. Leave a review if you are so inclined. :D_


	2. Chapter 2

_The second chapter is here!_

* * *

 _Relax. Concentrate. Focus._

Yugi took a deep breath, and pressed his pencil to the piece of paper laid out on his desk before him.

 _Relax._

His leg began to fidget restlessly.

 _Concentrate._

His eyes were on the piece of paper, but all he saw was sun-kissed skin and bright red eyes.

 _Focus._

Oh, how he would love to know what it would feel like to run his fingers through his stranger's hair. Yes, his stranger. He owned him now. Even if he only saw the exotic looking man once, and did not even know his name.

Yugi then realized he had no idea what he was doing. Oh right, the paper. He had not even written down a single word.

" _Damn it!_ I can't do it, Ryou. I just can't." He tugged at his hair in frustration.

Ryou looked up from typing away at his laptop after the sudden outburst. His face held a look of perplexed apprehension. "You all right?"

Yugi swiveled around in his chair and started to move his hands about wildly to emphasize his vexation. "No I'm not all right! Do I look all right to you?" A pout then replaced his frown as he slumped into his seat after his little tantrum. "I can't even think."

"Did you run out of coffee again?"

Yugi sighed. "No... Well, yes, but that's not what I'm frustrated about." He watched as Ryou closed his laptop to give him his undivided attention.

"Frustrated, but not about coffee? This I have to hear."

He glared at his silver-haired friend before he began his explanation. "I... met a guy a couple of weeks ago. At the cafe."

Ryou gasped at the notion. " _You_? Met someone? At the _Cafe_? Do go on."

His friend's exaggerated reaction only served to dampen his mood further. "Sort of, I guess. I don't know his name. He left pretty soon after ordering some coffee."

Ryou eyed him suspiciously. "You did something, didn't you?"

Yugi scoffed. "What? No..." When his friend continued to stare at him with those calculating, brown eyes of his, he relented. "I might have tripped him."

The sound of Ryou's laughter filled the small dormitory room. "You tripped him? I thought you said you didn't cause scenes."

Yugi went back to his pouting. "It wasn't like I had tripped him on purpose. He just happened to fall over my foot." Ryou did not look in the slightest bit convinced by his explanation. Yugi started to grumble. "Well... perhaps if he didn't have such a smug, dirty look on that smooth, pretty face of his the floor wouldn't have wanted to say hi to it." He let out a long, drawn-out sigh and placed his arm on his desk to prop his chin in his hand. "But now, that face is all I can think about."

Ryou's chuckle brought him out of his daze as his silver-haired friend began to speak. "Sounds like you got it bad already. When are you going to see him again?"

The multicolored haired boy threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "That's the thing, I don't know if I _will_ ever see him again! I don't have his number, no way to contact him."

Ryou considered this for a moment. "Well, have you gone back to the cafe? Perhaps he'll show back up."

Yugi went back to his slumped position. He felt deflated. "Of course I have. For days now. Every day. Maybe he's trying to avoid me."

"I doubt that. You never know. Maybe he will show back up one of these days." Ryou said as he returned his attention back to his laptop.

Yugi fiddled idly with his pencil as he thought on the subject more. Oh, what he would not give to see those flaming red eyes full of challenge and confidence again. But what should he say if he did meet back up with the man who had seemed to captivate him so much already? An apology might work, and was probably deserved. Maybe a bit of light conversation, a bit of flirting. Oh, who was he kidding? He might not ever see the man again.

"Maybe..." Yugi mumbled lightly as his mind drifted off.

* * *

It was quite a cold day when Yugi decided to leave the comfort of his dormitory room to head down to the little coffee shop. He had not been expecting much, as it had been several weeks since the last time he had seen the mysterious man of his daydreams. For better or for worse, he decided it best not to dwell on the subject of the caramel color of the stranger's skin, or the way his eyes shined like ruby gems full of mischief and mystery.

Of course, the real reason he came to the cafe today was because he yearned for the taste of decent coffee instead of the instant stuff he had been forced to make recently due to the fact that he was short on cash. Ah yes, the wonders of being a poor college student.

So he pushed the door open with a familiar jingle overhead, and walked up to his spot at the counter. He had not even bothered to survey the area for any multicolored haired individuals as he situated himself more comfortably on the stool and shook himself free of the cold.

Joey had not even asked him anything of his preference as he slid a cup in his direction. "Pretty cold today, huh?" He heard the blond ask.

Yugi nodded his agreement as he lifted the cup of steaming liquid to his lips. The burn was welcomed, and it reddened his lips. He let out a sigh.

It must have sounded more forlorn than relieved, for he heard Joey ask, "What's up?"

Yugi looked up through the golden bangs that fell over his face. His hair never really did well with the cold; it always made it more poofy. "Nothing much. Just a bunch of work. Like always."

Joey leaned on the counter as he spoke. "Not lookin' for that guy today?"

Yugi shrugged and took another sip of his coffee. "No point. Might as well not get my hopes up."

The look on his friend's face turned into a smirk. "Ya know, he might have come back if ya hadn't tripped 'em." Yugi merely glowered at his friend in response before he returned his attention back to his coffee. Joey's expression softened slightly. "You liked 'em, didn't you?" The blond thought it a shame that when Yugi finally found someone he took an interest in, that person never came back. The guy had seemed to actually find Yugi interesting too, but leave it to the short man to mess up a potentially good thing.

Yugi mumbled out a, "Not _that_ much."

Joey snorted out a laugh. "Yeah right."

The shorter man looked affronted by the sarcasm. "It's not like it would have mattered anyway. He was probably just a guy passing through that needed some coffee for the day."

Yugi saw his friend smirk before the blond said, "Or, he could have been a guy who just moved into town and was looking for a nice place to become a regular, but got harassed by local."

Yugi glared vehemently at the blond. "I don't like you."

"I love ya too, Yug'." The blond said with a wide grin.

It was then the sound of the door's bell resounded throughout the small interior of the cafe. Yugi had not bothered to look behind himself at the noise, but instead focused his attention on his cup of coffee. He had not noticed his friend's face brighten with glee, nor did he pay attention to the sound of heavy footsteps of boots come closer to the counter where he sat.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. 'I Like it Black.'" That voice, it sounded so familiar. Yugi stilled in his action of sipping from his cup. His eyes moved first as they looked over to see a familiar man with dark skin and red eyes. He felt his heart skip a beat in excitement. The man took a seat to Yugi's right. "Can I get a cup of coffee? With sugar and cream, of course." As the stranger said that last part, his eyes flitted over to Yugi with amusement lingering within them.

"Coming right up!" As Yugi glanced over at Joey, the blond gave him a wink.

Yugi sighed, and turned to the man waiting patiently for his early morning beverage. He suddenly found himself shy as his cheeks flushed over lightly with a tinge of pink. This was his chance to redeem himself. Perhaps get the man's name, or hell, if he was lucky, maybe even his number. "So... um." He cringed at how unsure he sounded. Not the best start he could have thought of. It did, however, manage to get the man's attention. Yugi cleared his throat and continued. "We got off on the wrong foot before..."

"Quite literally." The man interjected with a smirk. Yugi wanted to glare at the man seated beside him, but refrained.

"...And I just wanted to say, I apologize for my behavior the last time we saw each other."

Yugi hated feeling powerless in a situation; he did not like feeling less in control, and that feeling was only amplified when the man seemed to realize, and relish, in the fact that Yugi wanted to make the most of this second encounter. For there was a devilishly handsome, intensified smirk upon his face.

"Really? The one who went to such great lengths to prove a point? That's a switch."

Yugi pouted in irritation at the light, teasing tone of the stranger's voice.

"Yes. I was... in the wrong."

The man chuckled. The sound had Yugi's heart beating a little faster. "About how black coffee could even come close to tasting better than coffee with sugar and cream?"

The comment caused Yugi to scoff at the notion. "Hell no." When the stranger raised an eyebrow in amusement, Yugi coughed nervously. "I mean, I was in the wrong when I tripped you. It was immature of me." The man just smiled at him.

It was then that Joey placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of the stranger. Yugi watched him pour sugar and cream into the cup before lifting it to his gloriously shaped lips. After he took a sip, he placed the cup back down on the counter and turned his eyes back on Yugi. "All right then, _Yugi._ I'll accept your apology."

The way in which his name was spoken was almost seductive. It was said so deliberately as if the man was tasting each syllable – trying it out to see if he liked the flavor. It sent shivers down Yugi's body, yet made him feel much warmer than he had before. He was surprised the stranger even remembered his name.

Yugi preoccupied himself with another sip of his bitter coffee to make it seem as if the heat from the steam had caused the redness in his cheeks. As the liquid burned his lips again, he wondered if he could use the remembrance of his name as a gateway to a change in topic. "You have a bit of an advantage over me. You know my name, but I don't know yours."

The man beside him let out a "hm" in thought followed by another one of those alluring chuckles. "You want to know my name? Are you going to put a hit out on me next?"

Yugi very much disliked being teased. Perhaps because being bullied and teased summed up the majority of his high school life. He began to pout indignantly while he glared down at the cup in front of him before he began to mutter, "If you're going to be like that..."

"Atem." Yugi looked up from his coffee to look over at the stranger's handsome face. When Yugi had yet to respond, the man spoke again, "My name. It's Atem."

"Oh." Yugi felt the shyness coming back on. He was a bit of at a loss as to what to say next. "That's a nice name." Now that he had a name to put with the pretty face, he knew he would only become more infatuated with this stranger. It figured that he would start to get all flustered and awkward now. It was like he was regressing back into his puberty stricken, fifteen-year-old self trying to confess his feelings to his first crush. Old habits die hard, he guessed.

Atem took on a suave look that replaced the smug, teasing smirk. "Thanks."

As Yugi stared at him, he thought to himself, _this is the part where he smiles and his teeth twinkle._

The man went back to drinking his coffee. Yugi watched him and took a moment to think of something he could say to start up a new conversation. This could very well be his only chance. "So um, do you live around here?"

Atem turned to face him again. "I just moved into Domino recently."

Yugi pretended not to notice Joey mouth, " _I told you so._ "

"Oh, yeah? Where did you move from?" Yugi asked as he took a sip of his coffee and used the cup as a way to hide the glare directed at his friend.

"Egypt. Moved here for an internship."

"Oh, that's cool. How long are you staying?"

Atem shrugged. "Few months. Could be indefinite if I find any good... _opportunities_ while I'm here." The word was said with a lazy, seductive undertone; much like the way he had said Yugi's name before. Yugi swallowed down a nervous lump in his throat and pulled at his coat's collar in an attempt to cool himself down.

"Is that so?" Why did he have to wear so many clothes today?

"Indeed." Atem said as he eyed Yugi. It did not go unnoticed by the shorter man that he was being assessed. The baritone voice started back up after another moment. "So, what about you? You come here often?"

After he felt as if he had been sufficiently eye-fucked, Yugi squirmed a bit in his seat. He had been wanting another chance to meet up with this beautiful stranger, but damn. The man was being a lot more forward than before. It was throwing off his not so well thought out game plan that he had reserved for this occasion. Though he supposed he deserved it considering it was the same thing he did to the stranger on their first meeting.

When he had yet to say anything, Joey seemed to take it upon himself to intervene. "He's been coming here a lot more since _you_ came along." The blond sent a conspiratorial wink the handsome stranger's way. It fueled Atem's smirk that contorted back into its previous haughty and teasing look.

"You don't say?"

Yugi glared at his traitorous "friend." Joey just walked away from the counter trying to look innocent. Yugi turned his attention back on the one beside him. "I just... keep running out of coffee." It was not a _complete_ lie.

Atem leaned closer to the shorter man, and Yugi could feel the heat brought upon him from the closeness. "Whatever the case may be, I'm glad I got the chance to see you again, Yugi."

For all intents and purposes, Yugi tried his best not to lean in towards the man from the practically gravitational pull of his magnetic attraction. For if he did move closer, he was afraid he would not be able to separate himself from the other.

"Y-yeah. You are nice – I-I mean, it was nice." Atem moved a bit closer and leaned on the counter. Yugi was burning up so bad, he knew he was probably steaming more so than his coffee. "I really like your face – I mean coffee. I like coffee." Yugi lifted his cup quickly to his lips to silence them from their blabbering. A few obnoxious slurps helped to distract himself from just how close Atem had gotten to him. Said man looked highly amused.

"You were so cocky and bold before. What happened?" Yugi replied to the question through a gurgle of coffee that sounded like a bunch of incoherent burbling sounds. He heard Atem laugh. "If I had known all it took was a little bit of flirting to get you ruffled, I would have done it before." Atem received several angrier sounding burbles in response. Yugi watched the man then stand up from the stool he had been sitting on. Atem gave him another blush-inducing smile. "It's about time I take my leave. It has been a pleasure." The stranger said as he took one final sip of his coffee before placing it on the table. He then pulled out a pen from his front pocket and grabbed a napkin from one of the dispensers close by. Yugi watched him scribble something on it before he placed it in front of the smaller man. Yugi was confused at first, and did not get a chance to react before he felt hands being placed gently on his shoulders. He felt the man lean into him as lips moved close to his ear. "Perhaps I could get a local to show me around sometime. If you're interested." The stranger's voice was so velvety rich and melodious to his ears.

It was the last thing Atem said as he moved away from Yugi and sauntered out of the cafe like an elegant predator baiting its prey.

Yugi finally allowed himself to slump against the counter. He had not even realized he had been so tense.

"Dude, he's totally into you." The sudden sound of Joey's voice startled him. Yugi glared up at his friend.

"Thanks for jumping in on embarrassing me. Good to know my friends have my back." He said with a pout. Joey merely laughed.

"Nah, you were cute. He definitely liked seeing you all vulnerable and flustered." The blond said as he began to poke at Yugi's puffy cheeks. The shorter boy made an attempt to bite the finger. Joey just barely pulled back in time with a wide grin on his face. "You gotta call 'em, Yug'!"

Yugi continued to pout and slid his empty cup towards his friend. "I need another coffee."

Joey took the cup and took it over to the machine to have it refilled. He talked as he did this, "You better call him. Take him out, live a little. And don't even try to tell me you don't like him too. I saw you checkin' out his butt. Don't lie." Joey then placed the cup in front of a blushing Yugi.

"I... was not!" Yugi quickly pressed the steaming coffee to his lips.

The blond laughed. "Yeah you were. Now don't miss your chance. This could be what keeps you from turning into a cynical old hermit before you even turn thirty." Yugi glowered at his friend. "Oh, and, by the way, I assume you're gonna pay for his coffee? He didn't pay again."

Yugi let out a series of disgruntled, angry burbles.

* * *

It was not long after his second run-in with the handsome man he now knew as Atem, that he had called him up to schedule a little date of sorts. It had been too appealing an offer to pass up, because now, like he had thought before, he was a bit obsessed. He had tried to calm his raging libido during the week following the second encounter, but he had met with little success.

He could not sleep without being plagued by sexy dreams of smooth, sandy skin, wild hair and red, sultry eyes that promised nothing but sinful, passionate nights.

He had asked Ryou what he could do about his increased heart rate, inability to concentrate, restlessness during the night and complete lack of control over his dreams whenever he did manage to sleep. To which Ryou diagnosed him as: twitterpated. The cure: A steamy session with Atem that included lots of sex.

Needless to say, he disregarded the rest of whatever Ryou had to say about his situation. Though, he had to admit, if such an occasion arose he would not be opposed to it.

He had given Atem directions to a small, little diner that he fancied. Mostly because he was too cheap to go anywhere else, and by the way Atem seemed to like to pin Yugi with his coffee bills, he figured it would be a safer choice.

Yugi was already seated within the diner next to a window in a small booth positioned in a little corner away from wandering eyes. He stared out of the window next to him impatiently. Atem was late. Though, he supposed, he could not blame the man. Especially since he was new to Domino. He would have offered him a ride, but figured he would spare himself from any potential teasing until this little date actually transpired.

He watched as a black car pulled up in front of the diner, and Atem stepped outside of it. A breath got caught in Yugi's throat at the sight of him. It was not like he was not expecting him, but seeing Atem still managed to catch him by surprise. The man was quite enthralling. Maybe it was the way he walked all regally, or perhaps it was the confident, soft smile on his face, or the way his eyes seemed to shine with a subdued ferocity that was both calculating and mysterious. Maybe it was the sun-kissed color of his exotic skin, or the way his name seemed to just roll off of Yugi's tongue so perfectly.

"Hello, Yugi." Yugi was startled yet again as he looked up quickly to see the man of his fantasies standing in front of him. That pleasant smile on Atem's face that could melt the icecaps was directed right at him. "I had trouble finding you at first with you being all hidden away back here." A chuckle soon followed the statement.

Yugi laughed sheepishly. "Heh, sorry. I wasn't paying attention. I was going to wave you over." He said as he watched Atem take a seat across from him.

"Not a problem." The man then removed his jacket and placed it over the edge of the seat. Yugi stared in fascination at the muscles underneath the loose shirt he wore. "So, is this a place you come to often as well?"

Yugi blinked a few times as his brain tried to catch up to process the question asked. _Focus, Yugi. Focus._

"Uh, yeah. It's cheap and the food's good. Can't complain really."

"Sounds good then." Atem said as he reached for a menu to examine his options. Yugi tried to pay attention to his own menu, but could not stop himself from looking up at the man across from him every few seconds or so. Atem was quick to notice, for a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. "Do you like what you see?" Yugi felt his face flush, and forced his eyes down to the menu when Atem looked up.

"Y-yes! The omelette is really good." He pointed at a picture of an omelette.

Atem let out a seductive hum. "I see. Maybe I'll order that then."

"You should! Best omelette ever." Yugi tried to ignore how ridiculous he sounded.

"Oh? What does it taste like?"

"Well, it's cheesy."

He heard Atem let out a, "Mhm?"

"And it's soft."

"Is it?"

Yugi felt his skin heat up. How could one person be so alluring? He chanced a glance up to see half-lidded, hazy, red eyes staring back at him.

"A-and it's warm, and it melts in your mouth."

Atem leaned forward on the table, which caused Yugi to try and hide behind his menu. "Does it?" The man asked with such a deep pitch it sent a shiver down Yugi's spine.

"Yes!" The shorter man squeaked out. He was not even sure what he was saying yes to at this point. Just, whatever it was, the answer was most definitely yes.

It was not long before a waitress came up to their table, which Yugi deemed a mixed blessing. "What can I get you guys?" She asked politely with a small notepad in hand.

"I'll have a cheese omelette." Atem said with a smirk.

Yugi managed a nod. "I'll have that too."

"And what to drink?"

"Coffee, please. Black." Yugi spoke up immediately. He could really use some right now. He saw Atem raise an eyebrow at his request.

"Is coffee all you drink?" Yugi looked over at Atem and shrugged.

"I drink other stuff. Occasionally."

Atem merely shook his head and looked back over to the waitress. "A hot chocolate, please."

She scribbled some things down on her notepad and gave them both a smile. "Coming right up!"

And so they were left to their own devices. Yugi fidgeted a bit awkwardly in his seat, and tried to keep his eyes anywhere else other than Atem. Mostly because he was worried about what he might end up saying to embarrass himself.

"So, what do you do for a living, Yugi?"

Yugi looked to Atem when he was asked the question. "I, uh, I'm enrolled in Domino University."

The man looked intrigued. "Oh? What are you majoring in?"

"Computer science. I'm hoping to get into game development."

Atem seemed pleasantly surprised. "Is that so? That's actually what I'm here interning for."

Yugi found himself surprised as well. "Really? You like games?"

"Indeed." Atem said with a nod. Yugi felt quite pleased at the idea of Atem sharing an interest with him. A man after his own heart. How fitting that he would find another nerd such as himself. And a handsome nerd at that. "Do you live in a dormitory?" The voice brought Yugi back to the conversation.

"Oh, yeah. With a friend."

"Sounds pleasant."

Yugi shrugged at that. "It has its good days." He stared at the man sitting across from him who looked so mesmerizing. He was not even aware he had been staring until Atem smirked and sent him a flirty wink. Yugi quickly averted his gaze to the window. "So, um, what about you? Where do you live around here?"

"An apartment not too far from here. By myself." The last part sounded like an add-on. As if Atem was trying to emphasize this point.

Yugi nodded idly. "Oh, that sounds nice. That you have your own privacy."

Yugi glanced over to Atem who held a predatory gleam in his cherry-red eyes. "I wouldn't mind some company, if you know what I mean. Being by myself gets... lonely."

Yugi swallowed down a lump in his throat. He tried to place an inconspicuous hand over his crotch. _No, no, no. Not now. Calm down._

It was not too much longer before their food and drinks arrived, which Yugi was grateful for. He really needed the coffee. He hastily intertwined his fingers around the cup and lifted it to his mouth. Ah, heaven. It was so soothing. He then caught Atem's eyes that were fixated on him during the action of him drinking his coffee. The man was stirring his own frothy drink before he lifted it to his lips to take a sip without moving his eyes away from Yugi.

After placing the cup back down, he spoke up, "This hot chocolate is pretty good." Yugi nodded absentmindedly as he was not sure what Atem had just said because he was too focused on the tongue that had come out to lick at the chocolate on the man's lips. Yugi did notice, however, when the cup was slid his way. "You should try it. Expand your taste palate a little. Just not too much, wouldn't want you to go into shock at actually tasting something with flavor."

Yugi was not too "twitterpated" to glare at the man for the jab. Nonetheless, he picked up the cup to take a hesitant sip. He found it was not that bad, but he had never disliked chocolate. "I prefer dark chocolate."

Atem chuckled. "Of course you do."

Yugi put the cup down and pushed it back over to Atem. He watched the man take it back before looking back up. Atem lifted his hand and pointed towards his own face. "You got a bit right here." Yugi lifted his hand and wiped at his cheek. He heard Atem laugh. "You missed it. Here, I'll help you." He saw Atem gesture with his hand for him to move closer.

None-the-wiser, Yugi leaned forward. The dark-skinned man leaned in close, and raised one of his hands to place on Yugi's cheek. Yugi felt his face heat up at the contact. The man felt so warm, or maybe it was just the heat of his own face being transferred to the other's hand. Instead of just wiping away whatever chocolate that remained with his fingers, Atem leaned in even closer, and placed his very lips on the corner of Yugi's mouth.

Yugi's heart jumped in surprise and sped up quite quickly. He felt his whole face flush hot, and get hotter when he felt a tongue lick at his skin. He opened his mouth, but the only thing that came out was a strangled gasp of surprise. His brain was trying its damned hardest to catch up to the moment, but it was failing miserably, which resulted in a few incoherent sounds instead of actual words.

When he finally did manage to get a sense of what was happening, he almost felt like he had been charmed. His eyes felt heavier, and when Atem pulled away ever so slightly, he almost pressed back into him. Instead, he asked in a soft, seductive whisper of his own, "Did you get it?"

Atem pressed softly back against him in response, and he felt the man's lips curve into a smile against his skin. "Hold on, I think I missed a spot." As Atem said this, he moved away from the corner of Yugi's mouth to press ever so gently into his reddened lips abused by the heat from the coffee and hot chocolate. Yugi practically purred into it.

It was a soft kiss as they got a feel for the other, and Atem lingered a moment longer before breaking it with a quiet sound of their mouths parting.

Yugi could not stop the whine that escaped his throat at the absence of warmth. He wondered vaguely how just a single kiss could be so captivating. If there was ever a moment where he wished to go back in time, it would be right now, and only to the start of that kiss.

Atem sat back in the booth away from Yugi with a thoughtful smile. He brought his cup up to take another sip of his hot chocolate while he watched the smaller man who was still in a trance. When the man moved the drink away to have some of it catch onto his lips, Yugi discovered he had a newfound appreciation for hot chocolate.

"We should eat all of this food before it becomes cold."

Yugi finally moved back into his seat. "Right."

And so the date moved on. Yugi's brain stayed on that kiss for the remainder of their time together. The rest of their date was filled with idle, but pleasant conversation. Yugi wondered how the chemistry between them was so harmonious. It was as if they had been together for years, and they were merely catching up on everything they had missed of their lives instead of just being mere acquaintances. How was it that he could kiss this man so soon after meeting him, yet have it feel so right?

It felt like they had only been talking for maybe ten minutes, but when Yugi finally checked the time, it had been almost two hours.

Atem pushed his finished plate away from him, and started, "I think I'm done." He looked up to Yugi with a pleasant smile. "I better get going." Yugi looked up to him and felt disheartened. Had the time really gone by that quickly? He did not want this to end yet. Or ever.

"Oh..."

"I had quite a pleasant time, Yugi. We should do this again."

Yugi brightened up at hearing those words. "Yes!" He had not meant to sound so eager, and his cheeks tinted pink slightly. He let out a nervous laugh. "I mean, yeah. This was nice."

Atem chuckled. "It was." The man then stood up from the table. Yugi almost sighed as he watched him pick up his coat and pull it over his shoulders. When Atem looked back over to him, Yugi noticed the expression on the man's face had changed into something sly. Atem walked around the table and bent down close to the smaller man who felt his heart start to beat against his rib cage so harshly he could hear it. "Enjoy the rest of your day, _Yugi_."

The words sounded silky smooth, and to top it all off, Atem placed a chaste kiss upon his cheek.

That was officially it, this man owned his very soul. He had been so wrong when he thought he had laid any claim on Atem before, because it was very much the other way around. He could tell Yugi to jump off a cliff and, much to his chagrin, he would probably do it.

"Okay." Yugi said as if in a trance. He heard the man chuckle, and watched as he reached into his coat pocket to pull out a wallet. Atem took out a few bills and placed them on the table.

"I'll see you later then."

Yugi could do little more than watch the man's back as he walked out of the restaurant and away from him. When he did finally break out of his spellbound state, it took all he had not to get up and yell at the man that he was going the wrong way. The direction to his dorm bedroom was the other way.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _So this story is going to have one more chapter. I hope you guys like it so far!_


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